Monday, January 18, 2016

Beer Grotto Samples + Backwoods Bastard

The Beer Grotto is one of several craft beer joints near the baseball stadium in Lansing. It has a decent selection and offers 3 oz pours, which I especially like. On a recent visit I stopped by and had 3 of the 3 oz pours, all beers I had never tried before.

The Hopulent IPA poured a hazy pale amber with very foamy head due to the nitro and a soft body. It smelled piney and citrusy with a touch of sop. Not an overly hoppy IPA. Notes of pine and lemon stood out but there was balance. Drinkable at 8.4% ABC.Raisin the Freakflag was very pretty! Dark brown with noticeable red hues and a sudsy light brown head. It smelled of dark fruits and alcohol. It definitely tasted like raisins - sweet and malty. I looked it up and the style is described as a "Rum Raisin Cake Porter."
A nice, unique beer and I would expect no less from Short's. However, 3 oz was plenty as this was a very sweet beverage. 8% ABV.Backwoods Bastard is a scotch ale or "wee heavy." I enjoyed it so much that I came back the very next day for a full pour.

This is a limited release beer from Founder's in Grand Rapids, MI. The style is known for being sweeter due to a caramelized wort. It poured dark but with amber highlights and smelled of cherries and malt. It tasted like bourbon, caramel, oak, and fruit and definitely warmed my chilly belly on a cold January day. It is a sweet beer and has a high alcohol content at 11-13% ABV. 10 oz was plenty. It was one to savor and enjoy; I'm glad I went back for it.

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About Me

I've always enjoyed a beverage or two. But beer is something I have never really understood. Oh, I have drunk it. And I have enjoyed it. But to understand it...that is something else all together. See my "intro" entry from 10/17/08 for details.